The dust settled slowly, drifting in pale sheets across the moonlit plains. The air felt heavier now, as if the land itself understood that the balance of the battlefield had shifted. The Angel King and Yajin stood apart, their breaths steadying, their eyes fixed on the seven figures who had descended from the sky like judgment itself.
The moon hung behind them, casting long shadows that stretched across the cracked earth.
Eiden stepped forward first.
His cloak swayed behind him, the twin blades at his sides catching the silver light. His presence alone pressed against the air, calm but unyielding, as if he had walked into this moment knowing it belonged to him.
Vaelus stood at his right, emerald eyes glowing faintly beneath the drifting dust. The symbols on his robe pulsed with quiet rhythm, responding to the tension in the air.
Selyndra's silver blade rested at her side, her stance poised and balanced, her expression unreadable beneath the moon's glow.
Morvath rolled his shoulders once, fanged blades angled downward, his gaze locked on Yajin with predatory focus.
Across from them, Yajin's grin widened, the Sword of Judgement humming in his hand. The blade's uneasy resonance deepened, bending the air around it as if reality itself recoiled from its presence.
Yajin chuckled — low, dark, delighted — as if he had stumbled upon a treasure buried beneath the moonlit plains.
"This is incredible," he said, laughter spilling out of him. "I get to kill all eight of you tonight. The gods have truly blessed me!"
He stretched his arms wide, head tilted back toward the sky, laughter echoing across the cracked earth. The Sword of Judgement hummed in his hand, its uneasy resonance vibrating through the air like a warning the world refused to heed.
Eiden stepped forward again, blades angled at his sides, cloak shifting behind him.
"Yajin," he said, voice steady, unshaken. "By sunrise, I will be taking that blade from your hands. That is an artifact of the Three Gods. And of all people, it does not belong with you."
Yajin lowered his head slowly.
His arms dropped. His grin sharpened. His eyes locked onto Eiden with a spark of amusement.
"Oh?" he said. "But I already count three blades in your possession. Why would you need a fourth?"
He tilted his head, laughter bubbling again.
"How would you even wield all four? Haha!"
The wind swept across the plains, carrying dust between them.
"I don't need to wield all four, you're right," Eiden said, his voice steady. "But what I can do is take the blade from you, learn its power, and embed that power within the rest of my blades."
Yajin clicked his tongue. "That doesn't answer my other question. How would you even wield all four?"
Eiden lifted his arms slightly, the moonlight catching the metal sleeves built into his gloves.
"These aren't just gauntlets," he said. "I can slide two blades under the metal sleeves, and they latch tight against my forearms as if I'm wielding them myself."
Vaelus stepped forward, planting himself beside Eiden, his emerald eyes narrowing.
"Sorry to break your chatter," he said, voice sharp, "but we've got someone to kill, and we can't wait any longer for chitchat."
Yajin's grin widened. "Ah, I see… But Eiden, is this really like you? To fight your enemy with the help of three? And here I thought you were an honorable man."
Vaelus didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he leaned closer to Eiden, whispering so quietly only the two of them could hear.
"Eiden… please, please, please listen to me. You and I have used foresight. We both know what happens if we all fight him together — especially with the Angel King involved. If we go through with this...
Morvath, Seraphaine, and Iris will die. And all of us fighting at once… We'll get in each other's way. Please. Just reconsider. We need a fair one‑on‑one. The future might change. Only the Angel King or Yajin may die. We might lose. They might escape. But that's better than losing three of our closest friends. Please, Eiden."
He looked at Eiden with desperate hope, eyes trembling.
Eiden exhaled slowly. "Fine then. I'll listen to you. I'll reconsider."
Vaelus's face lit up instantly — relief hitting him so hard his eyes nearly watered. He almost looked like he might collapse from the weight lifted off his chest.
Eiden straightened, drawing in a deep breath.
"Sages! Off the battlefield. We're changing tactics. Morvath — you're on the Angel King. I'll face Yajin. The rest of you, clear the area. Now."
Morvath blinked, his body relaxing in surprise at the sudden shift.
The others froze for a heartbeat — then Selyndra moved first.
She sheathed her blade in a single fluid motion and shot into the sky, vanishing in a blink. Her palm extended outward, golden strands latching onto Vaelus, Dravien, Iris, and Seraphaine, pulling all four of them back at once.
Dravien's tail puffed in shock, his stomach dropping as the sudden pull yanked him off balance.
Selyndra landed far in the distance with the group, the golden strands dissolving as soon as they touched ground. Without hesitation, they all sprinted away from the battlefield, running with the speed of birds fleeing a storm.
Morvath dashed to the right, positioning himself meters away from Eiden and Yajin — directly in front of the Angel King.
The battlefield split cleanly.